Liquid cooling device

ABSTRACT

A liquid cooling device is mounted in a large-sized overhead projector to absorb heat generated by a light-generating device. The liquid cooling device has a water tank, a heat sink, a liquid block assembly and a pump. The water tank has an outlet hole formed on the middle of the water. The heat sink communicates with the water tank. The liquid block assembly contacts the light-generating device and is filled with a coolant and communicates with the heat sink via an inlet duct. The pump is mounted in the large-sized overhead projector and is in fluid communications with the water tank via an outlet duct mounted in the outlet hole of the water tank. Therefore, when the large-sized overhead projector is put upright or turned upside down, the outlet hole is always in the middle of the water tank, preventing the pump from idling and being damaged as the amount of coolant is reduced.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a liquid cooling device, and more particularly to a liquid cooling device used to cool a light-generating device mounted within a large-sized overhead projector.

2. Description of Related Art

A large-sized overhead projector comprises a light-generating device. The light-generating device often has a high temperature while working in high performance mode. To effectively reduce the temperature, a modern approach is to install a liquid cooling device on the light-generating device. The liquid cooling device absorbs and dissipates heat generated by the light-generating device.

With reference to FIG. 2, a conventional liquid cooling device comprises a water tank 90, a heat sink 91, a pump 94 and a liquid block assembly 96. The water tank 90 has a chamber, a top, a bottom and an outlet hole 911. The outlet hole 911 is near the bottom of the water tank 90, and communicates with the chamber and an outlet duct 92. The heat sink 91 is connected with the water tank 90 and an inlet duct 93 is mounted at the top of the water tank 90. The pump 94 is mounted in the large-sized overhead projector and is in fluid communications with the water tank 90 via the outlet duct 92. The liquid block assembly 96 comprises multiple liquid blocks 97 connected with each other via tubing 98. The liquid blocks 97 are filled with coolant and are connected with the light-generating device 99 of the large-sized overhead projector to directly absorb heat generated by the light-generating device 99. One of the liquid blocks 97 is connected with the heat sink 91 via the inlet duct 93, and the other one of the liquid blocks 97 is connected with the pump 94 via a pipe 95.

Therefore, the coolant is driven by the pump 94 to circulate between the heat sink 91 and the liquid blocks 97. The coolant exchanges heat with the liquid blocks 97 when the coolant flows through the liquid blocks 97. After the coolant dissipates the heat when it flows through the heat sink 91, the coolant circulates back to the liquid blocks 97 for heat exchange again.

However, the large-sized overhead projector can be put on a table or hung upside down on a ceiling. When the large-sized overhead projector is hung upside down the outlet hole 911 originally at the bottom of the water tank 90 is moved to the top of the water tank 90. Therefore, when the amount of coolant in the water tank 90 is reduced the coolant in the water tank 90 cannot flow out of the outlet duct 92 and cannot pass the liquid block assembly 96. Consequently, the pump 94 idles and is quickly damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the invention is to provide a liquid cooling device that prevents the pump of the liquid device from idling and being damaged.

A liquid cooling device is mounted in a large-sized overhead projector to absorb heat generated by a light-generating device. The liquid cooling device comprises a water tank, a heat sink, a liquid block assembly and a pump. The water tank is hollow and has a middle, a side surface and an outlet hole. The outlet hole is formed on the middle of the water tank. The heat sink connects to the side surface of the water tank. The liquid block assembly contacting the light-generating device. The liquid block assembly connects to the heat sink via an inlet duct. The pump is in fluid communications with the water tank via an outlet duct that is mounted in the outlet hole of the water tank. The pump connects with the liquid block assembly via a pipe. Therefore, when the large-sized overhead projector is put upright or turned upside down, the outlet hole of the water tank is always kept in the middle of the water tank. Then, a coolant being filled in the liquid cooling device flows out of the water tank to the liquid block assembly by the pump through the outlet duct and the pump. The outlet hole of the water tank being in the middle of the housing prevents the pump from idling and being damaged.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid cooling device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional liquid cooling device;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, a liquid cooling device in accordance with the present invention is mounted in a large-sized overhead projector to absorb heat generated by a light-generating device 40. The liquid cooling device is filled with a coolant and comprises a water tank 10, a heat sink 11, a liquid block assembly 30 and a pump 20.

The water tank 10 is hollow and has a top surface, a bottom surface, a middle, a side surface and an outlet hole 14. The outlet hole 14 is formed on the middle of the housing and communicates with the chamber. The distance between the outlet hole 14 and the top surface of the housing is almost equal to the distance between the outlet hole 14 and the bottom surface of the housing.

The heat sink 11 is connected with the side surface of the water tank 10.

The liquid block assembly 30 communicates with the heat sink 11 via an inlet duct 13. In this embodiment, the liquid block assembly 30 comprises multiple liquid blocks 31. The liquid blocks 31 are connect with each other via tubing 32. Each of the liquid blocks 31 has a surface for contacting the light-generating device 40. The inlet duct 13 communicates with one of the liquid blocks 31 and the heat sink 11.

The pump 20 is in fluid communications with the water tank 11 via an outlet duct 12 connected to the outlet hole 14 of the water tank 10. The pump 20 is connected with the other one of the liquid blocks 31 of the liquid block assembly 30 via a pipe 21.

The pump 20 of liquid cooling device drives the coolant in the water tank 10 flowing out of the water tank 10 and passing through the outlet hole 14, the outlet duct 12 and the pump 20 to the liquid block assembly 30. Then, the coolant in the liquid block assembly 30 flows into the heat sink 11 further into the water tank 10.

When the large-sized overhead projector is put upright or turned upside down, the outlet hole 14 of the housing is always kept in the middle of the housing. Therefore, even if the amount of coolant in the water tank 10 is reduced, the coolant can still flow smoothly out of the outlet hole 14 of the water tank 10. Therefore, the outlet hole 14 of the water tank 10 being in the middle of the housing prevents the pump 20 from idling and being damaged.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A liquid cooling device mounted in a large-sized overhead projector to absorb heat generated by a light-generating device, and comprising: a water tank being hollow comprising a middle; a side surface; an outlet hole formed on the middle of the water tank; a heat sink connected to the side surface of the water tank; a liquid block assembly adapted for contacting the light-generating device and connected with the heat sink via an inlet duct; and a pump being in fluid communications with the water tank via an outlet duct that is connected to the outlet hole of the water tank, and the pump connected with the liquid block assembly via a pipe.
 2. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid block assembly comprises: multiple liquid blocks connected with each other via a tubing, each of the liquid blocks having a surface for contacting the light-generating device, and the inlet duct connecting one of the liquid blocks with the heat sink, and the pipe connecting the other liquid block with the pump. 